Ukrainian engineer Max Gerbut has just unveiled the prototype of PassivDom, which is a passive tiny house with many intriguing features. PassiveDom was built using 3D printing technology, and according to Max, it is the first completely autonomous house in the world, since it does not require any fuel combustion of any sort, no matter where it is placed i.e. not even in an Arctic climate. (more…)

Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has recently come up with an interesting and unique solution to turning an old, 1970’s apartment building into a very sustainable complex. His plans call for the transformation of the existing concrete structure into an energy producing building with a green façade.

Callebaut would leave the building as is, but would add 274 planter beds into its ornamental façade. These would hold about 10,000 plants carefully chosen by botanists, to create a sort of vertical garden or green façade, which would increase the building’s thermal performance and clean the air. According to Callebaut’s calculations the plants would capture 50 tons of C02 per year. The windows of the apartments would also have to be exchanged for energy saving ones to further improve the thermal performance of the building. Keeping the green façade flourishing would not be difficult at all, since there would be a drip-feed system that would require maintenance only twice a year. (more…)

We have featured builds by Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses here before, mainly because their creations are always spot-on when it comes to small and sustainable homes. Their newest project, the recently completed 16 Foot Curved Roof Tiny House is no exception, and actually raises the bar when it comes to off-grid tiny homes. It’s spacious and light filled, yet still completely mobile. (more…)

With the rise in popularity of sites such as AirBNB, more and more people are looking for clever ways to rent out a part of their properties to make some extra cash. Sarah and Patrick Romero of Sandy, Utah, came up with a great way of doing just that. They built a cozy, tiny home, which they are currently renting out. (more…)

Toyota is a carmaker, but they are also one of the top providers of prefab homes in Japan. They have recently created their first hydrogen car called Mirai, and have now announced plans to build a community of hydrogen powered homes. To do so, they have obtained the rights to H2PIA from the Danish team who first came up with the concept of such a sustainable community. (more…)

Cabins and vacation homes in general serve the purpose of bringing us closer to nature, something that most of us still yearn for. And this glass cabin, recently completed by the Dutch firm 2by4-architects, offers just that. It is located in built Loosdrechtse Plas, a region of Holland filled with picturesque lakes.

The cabin measures only 215 square feet, since local regulations mandated it to be the same size as the structure it was built to replace. In an effort to make it appear larger, as well as to bring the inhabitants closer to the nature surrounding it, the cabin’s eastern and western side is completely glazed. The rest of the façade is clad with charred wood siding. The glass walls also let in plenty of natural light and maximize solar heat gain.

The cabin also features a unique moveable wall that together with the glazing leads to the complete removal of one of the cabin’s walls. This truly blurs the line between the interior and exterior spaces. It is achieved by completely opening one of the glass facades so that the wooden outdoor terrace actually becomes part of the interior space. The wooden façade can also be folded down, which offers wraparound views of the surrounding landscape. This also forms a deck over the lake next to which the cabin was built, forming an easy way for the inhabitants to access the water.

The interior was kept simple and functional. It’s all just one room, and features a small kitchen, toilet and shower, which are integrated into a double wall. There is also a suspended wood stove, which can be rotated to heat both the interior and the deck.

The cabin has already become quite famous, and with good reason, so the firm is planning to design a cheaper, prefab version that will be easy to construct.